


Not While I'm Around

by PhantomsVixen008



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M, Falcobblepot, Sofwald, mention of Jim Gordon, mentions of Professor Pyg, mentions of child death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-02 17:10:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12730770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomsVixen008/pseuds/PhantomsVixen008
Summary: The idea for this fic came from the song "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeney Todd. This story takes place after the events of Season 4 Episode 9 "Let Them Eat Pie" In my version of events, Martin, the little mute orphan is murdered by Professor Pyg during the orphanage fundraiser. This story shows how Oswald doesn't cope with this type of thing.





	Not While I'm Around

"Demons are prowling everywhere nowadays  
I'll send them howling, I don't care, I've got ways  
No one's gonna hurt you  
No one's gonna dare"

The scene flashed over and over in Oswald's mind. Sweet, mute Martin, clutched in that monster's arms. The knife at his throat. Oswald closed his eyes, slowly opening them, and slamming back another tumbler of scotch. It still wasn't enough to dull the pain. Then his thoughts flashed to the knife being plunged into Sofia's hand. The sound of her scream. It was a sound he could never get out of his mind. His thoughts were disjointed. The two events merging into one, then separating over and over again. They played on an endless loop. Asleep, awake, somewhere in between, it didn't matter, and nothing seemed to make it go away. 

With shaking hands, he poured another glass of amber liquid, filling it to the top and letting it splash out onto the table before he even realized what had happened. Cursing, he picked the glass up, downing it all in one long swallow. The burn momentarily distracted him, but it didn't last long. It never did. Nothing ever did. Anyone he ever cared about slipped through his fingers like grains of sand. His mother, his father, Fish, now Martin. It was best if he just let Sofia go before she became next on the list. 

A knock startled him from his thoughts, and he sighed, unwilling to get up from his seat by the fire. Instead he poured another glass, downing it quickly. But the knocking continued. With a low growl, he slammed the tumbler down. 

"GO AWAY!" he yelled. 

"Oswald," Sofia whispered as she let herself in. "You know you really shouldn't leave your door unlocked these days. It's not safe." 

He waved away her words, staring into the dying flames in the hearth. 

The sound of her heels clicking on the polished floor did nothing to draw his attention towards the woman. He hoped in his liquor addled brain that if he ignored her she'd just go away. But knowing Sofia as well as he did, he knew it wouldn't be that simple. 

"What do you want?" He meant for his words to sound angry, but instead they were slurred and almost completely incoherent. 

"You're drunk," she replied, her tone sad as she moved to sit next to him. 

"No shit. You're as good a detective as your friend James Gordon." 

"Oswald, I didn't come here to fight. I .. I just came to see if you were alright. I haven't seen you since..." she trailed off. 

"Sure, I'm great. Can't you tell," he moved to pour another tumbler, but Sofia reached with her bandaged hand, grabbing his wrist. 

"Stop! Drinking yourself to death isn't going to bring Martin back. And I .. I miss you," she whispered. 

"Oh your boyfriend isn't keeping company these days? So you come crawling to me? Is that how it's always been?" 

"Please don't be this way, Oswald." Tears welled up in her big brown eyes. 

He jerked his arm away from her. "It's best if you just leave." 

"No. I'm not going anywhere. Not until you have an adult conversation with me. We have to talk about this." 

"What's there to talk about?" he spat, finally turning to look at her. "Everything I touch dies. Haven't you figured that out by now!? Look at what happened to Martin. I sat there and watched as that god awful monster slit a kids throat. I sat there and did nothing because I was too scared to move. And that was after Pyg plunged a knife into your hand! It could have been your throat! If you stay near me it could still be your throat!" 

By this time, tears were streaming down his cheeks and he didn't care to wipe them away. He didn't care about anything at all in this moment. The pain was so raw it was overwhelming. Pulling himself up from his chair, he wobbled slightly, grabbing the bottle from the table. Not even bothering with the tumbler, he swallowed another burning gulp of the scotch. 

"Don't you see? I'm cursed. All the bad stuff I've done in my life. I deserve this pain, Sofia. You don't." He paced in front of the fireplace, bottle clutched tightly in his hand. Holding the bottle to his lips, he continued chugging, scotch running down his chin. 

Crawling to her feet, she moved to stand in his way. "You aren't cursed," she said softly. 

"Bullshit," he spat. "Just go. Please," his words were broken as he refused to look her in the eye. 

"I can't," she whispered. 

"Why?" 

"Because I love you, Oswald. I realized that when all of this happened. You ... you tried to protect me and Martin. I'm only alive because of you."   
He threw the bottle into the fireplace, the movement startling Sofia, making her jump back. 

"YOU DON'T LOVE ME! NO ONE IS SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME! I AM POISON!" he shouted. "Look around you Sofia. Look at what happens to anyone associated with me. You become a target. I'm not the good guy. I'm not the knight in shining armor. If you want that, go to James Gordon." The venom seemed to run out, and he collapsed into the chair. "I .. I can't do this Sofia." 

Kneeling in front of him, she let her hands rest gently on his knees. "You can try to push me away. It's just further proof that you care about me too. I know you do, Oswald. I can see it in your eyes." 

He closed his eyes, looking away from her. "Please, Sofia. I don't want you to get hurt. I .. I can't lose you too. I can't." 

"You won't. I know you won't. You'll keep me safe. You always have. I trust you with my life." 

"You are a fool to trust me like that," he sighed, but there was no sting in the words. "I can't keep anyone safe. Hell, I can't even keep myself safe half the time. Or have you not noticed my incredibly attractive limp?" 

She sighed, her fingers moving to brush along his jaw. "Please look at me," she sighed. 

He turned his gaze to her's, his green eyes bloodshot and full of tears. 

"I love you Oswald Cobblepot. Yes, I was seeing Jim Gordon, and yes, I'm the reason he became Captain. But he doesn't hold my heart. You do. I just wish I would have realized it sooner. Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to be a Falcone and making sure everyone else is aware of who I am, that I can't see the things, or the people that are right in front of my face. For that, I'm truly sorry. But I know what my heart wants. Where my heart lies. And that's with you." 

He blinked, feeling the hot tears sliding down his cheeks. "And that will get you killed one day," he sighed. "But, I'm selfish and I really don't want to let you go. "

Leaning forward, he gently brushed the hair from her face. "I love you too Sofia Falcone. And it will be the death of us one day." Moving a bit closer, he tilted her chin up, slowly kissing her. 

The action surprised her, but she soon melted into the kiss, the fingers of her uninjured hand softly stroking the soft ebony locks at the back of his neck. Soon the kiss broke, and he moved to lean his forehead against her's. 

"So, where do we go from here?" he softly asked. "I've never really done this kind of thing before." 

"Don't worry. We have each other. No one's going to hurt you again. Not while I'm around," she whispered.


End file.
